Sam Preston’s Post

I recently visited a client that was experiencing some concerns about the prior companies ability to succeed.(AMS recently purchased the company). They stated to me; 'I know you are not them, but you are an extension of them, you have some of the same people in positions, for some areas we need better support from. What are you doing to address this?' I was prepared for our meeting, I knew the failings and we as a company, #AMS had drawn up an intial plan so I addressed the question. The client then said; Yes I have done my background checks also! I immediately knew what he meant and stated, I was aware of this (as I also had done so). LinkedIn allows me to see anyone looking at me The client rightly stated, know who you are going into a room with and the knowledge of who they are! I laid out a road map, I didn't promise what I can't deliver, but I did promise what I can control, and what I can;'t; but with time achieve. The purpose of this is; don't promise today, what you cannot achieve tomorrow. When facing an unsatisfied client, tell them the truth, let them know your plans. Do not offer something you can't deliver just to get out of an awkward sitution. Do not ever lose your integrity. You will fail and you won't be trusted again. Be honest, we are humans are we not? Some things are out of our control, the client understands this! They have the same daily problems. We are not AI yet. We are humans. Show action, show ability to create and complete the action. Do not, ever, over promise. Walk away and at worst, not deliver. Your company and your own integrity is at stake. If you try, if you fail. Remember, the client, only wants truth not miracles. You will keep a client if you communicate. You will lose a client if you ignore them, if you fail to provide for them and do not communicate why and what you can do to achieve it It is mutual; we can't always do everything. Communication is the key to building trust #communicate #integrity #buildclienttrust #workasateam

KISS me, you fool! Part 2 of 2 Here is how we can KISS in contracts: 1. Ask for the 5th grader breakdown. Surprise! You don’t know it all. Ask your customer to break it down to you, what do they want and why? Acknowledge and accept your lack of technical knowledge. You will have to trust that your customer knows what they are talking about and just as we work with language day in and day out, they work the business day in and day out they know what goes on in the industry and they know what will and will not fly. This is not to say you can’t question remarkable or risky positions, but don’t discount your customer’s experiences. 2. Use fewer words. I just finished a round of leadership coaching, and my coach gave me some advice, keep your words clear, brief, and specific (CBS). How do we do this? Get to the point. Ask the question first then dive into details as needed. Don’t launch into your reasoning first. You’ll lose folks by your second “because”. 3. Propose solutions and empower disagreement. If you propose a contractual solution to a customer’s problem and they do not understand how or why it solves the problem, consider the problem unsolved. Check their understanding of your proposal and let them poke holes. Hate to tell you, but we all have ideas, not all of them are brilliant or earth shattering. 4. Relationships are built with both the carrot and the stick. Contracts come with two mechanisms to drive behavior. You can encourage behavior with a contractual benefit (carrot) or consequence (stick). My wife and I would restrict our foster teen’s video games for not completing his chores—brilliant, right? Imagine if I told our kid, “Hey, dishwasher not unloaded? YOU’RE OUT OF HERE! and you need to pay for someone to load it in your absence.” Not a great way to build a relationship, right? Ask your customer, what happens if the other party doesn’t do X? What happens if they do? Tie actions or inactions to not insignificant benefits or consequences. This is how your customer will be most delighted because ultimately they want performance. To be a better partner and to facilitate better partnerships between our customers and another party, we have to keep contacts simple and real. Make KISS a daily practice and just see what happens. Are your customers more delighted? Does the just-stepped-in-dog-poo face ease? Are they excited to work with you because you get it? Let me know. I’m curious what you find out.

Building and maintaining trust is at the core of my professional ethos. Here are a few reasons why my clients and colleagues, place their trust in me: * Proven Track Record: With [4] years of experience in linkedin, I've consistently delivered high-quality results that exceed expectations. * Transparent Communication: I believe in clear, honest, and timely communication. My clients are always kept in the loop, ensuring no surprises and a smooth collaboration process. * Commitment to Excellence: I am dedicated to continuous improvement, always seeking ways to enhance my skills and deliver better value. * Ethical Practices: Integrity is non-negotiable. I adhere to the highest ethical standards in all my dealings, ensuring fairness and respect for all parties involved. * Client-Centric Approach: Your success is my priority. I take the time to understand your needs and tailor my services to meet your specific goals. * Reliability: You can count on me to be dependable and consistent, delivering on promises and meeting deadlines without fail. Thank you for considering me as a trusted partner. Your feedback and support mean the world to me! #Trust #ProfessionalIntegrity #ClientSatisfaction #Dependabili

The toughest clients often become the most loyal. When I first started, I thought the perfect client was someone who immediately understood my process, trusted my expertise, and rarely questioned my approach. But reality quickly taught me that the tough clients—the ones who are hesitant, skeptical, and demand more ( while paying peanuts at times) — are the ones that shape you for long term success. So, how do you turn those initial challenges into long-lasting trust? 1️⃣ Transparency is Non-Negotiable Being upfront about timelines, deliverables, and potential setbacks goes a long way. Clients appreciate honesty over sugar-coated promises. 2️⃣ Patience and Persistence Win When a client isn’t convinced, it’s tempting to take it personally. But patience—combined with consistent effort—often makes all the difference. 3️⃣ Focus on Understanding, Not Just Delivering Sometimes, the hardest clients are the ones who don’t fully understand their own vision. Taking the time to truly listen and refine their ideas can turn skeptics into advocates. Every challenging client has taught me more about patience, resilience, and the art of clear communication. It’s not always easy, but seeing a once-doubtful client genuinely excited about the results is the kind of reward that fuels my passion. To those clients who pushed me, questioned me, and expected more—thank you. You’ve made my work better and stronger. What’s one lesson you’ve learned from handling tough client situations? #ClientManagement #EntrepreneurJourney #BuildingTrust #CommunicationTips #DigitalMarketing #GrowthMindset #100DaysChallenge

“The Client Misstep That Taught Me a Game Changing Lesson” A while back, I was managing a new client relationship, eager to impress and deliver. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until it wasn’t. I had misunderstood a key part of their requirements and delivered something that, while functional, wasn’t what they wanted. The client was polite but visibly frustrated. My instinct was to defend our work, but something stopped me. Instead, I decided to own the mistake. I scheduled a call, apologized sincerely, and asked, “What can we do to make this right?” Their response surprised me. They didn’t focus on what went wrong but appreciated that I was upfront and eager to fix it. Together, we worked out a revised plan, and my team went above and beyond to exceed their expectations. That client didn’t just stay with us—they became one of our most vocal advocates, referring us to other businesses and opening doors I hadn’t even considered. Here’s what I learned from that experience: Owning your mistakes builds trust: Trying to cover up or deflect blame only damages relationships. Transparency fosters respect. The solution matters more than the problem: Clients understand that mistakes happen. What they care about is how you handle them. Turn challenges into opportunities: A mishap is a chance to show your commitment to excellence and willingness to grow. What started as a stressful situation ended up being one of the best opportunities to strengthen our reputation. Sometimes, the toughest moments in business are where the best partnerships are forged. Have you ever turned a client challenge into a success story? #BusinessDevelopment #ClientRelations #LeadershipLessons #ProblemSolving #TrustBuilding #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #ProfessionalGrowth #LessonsLearned #Networking #RelationshipManagement

Of the many many matrices I came across in consulting, the competence vs confidence matrix always stuck. While very powerful, I think a third axis of discipline makes for an interesting cubrix from a people PoV: • Main Character Energy (High Competence, High Confidence, High Discipline): They’re skilled, they know it, and they show up consistently. Be their spotlight, backstage support and agent to grab the best roles. • Silent Slay (High Competence, Low Confidence, High Discipline): They’re talented and disciplined but don’t always recognize their own worth. Needs a little hype-up from time to time - be their green room mirror that shows the starlight within as well as their most attentive audience. • Ace in Chaos (High Competence, High Confidence, Low Discipline): Brilliant and self-assured but thrives in creative chaos, necessarily so. They innovate, but focus is key to turn ideas into consistent wins. Be the agent anchor to channel their talent into structured successes. • Delulu Don (Low Competence, High Confidence, Low Discipline): All talk, no grind. Loves to say, “I’ve got this,” but falls flat when it’s time to deliver. Needs to put in some serious work. Be their harsh newspaper critic and crumble confidence from time to time so they put in the work. • Hustler with Potential (High Confidence, Low Competence, High Discipline: Good soldier with “Fake it till you make it” energy. Lacks the full skill set but keeps at it with discipline. Likely to succeed with time and grind. Be their casting director and keep pushing with even typecast roles to build niche/ competence over time. • Red flag (Low Competence, Low Confidence, Low Discipline): Stays under the radar, avoiding risks and coasting along. Best identified soon and losses cut. In the absence of everything else, discipline is probably the easiest to start doing and hardest to be consistent with, but surely one’s best bet.

“You are absolutely correct. I don’t know… YET!”… The Department was just restructured and I was now in charge of a project division that I knew very little of. It was then I was introduced to the Quality head of a vendor whose first words to me were “How am I supposed to work with a new girl?! She doesn’t know my company! I’m not confident with this decision. This is a mistake.” Frankly, he was absolutely right! I had no idea what I was doing at the time and my fear of failure was having a field day in my head with this. 🫠 However, I knew myself enough to trust that I could turn his opinion around, so I was transparent with him and said: “You are absolutely correct. I don’t know… YET… but it is my job to build this relationship based on trust so I will do my best to learn as quickly as I can to accommodate your company’s needs.” I WON HIM OVER IN TWO WEEKS! 1) I was fully transparent with him on what I knew and what I didn’t know from the beginning. 2) I researched the company and studied its challenges and its tryouts. 3) I learned to communicate with the Quality director by getting to know how he thinks and communicates his needs. 4) I had an informal meeting with him and the VP of the company to get the company’s history through their perspective. 5) I went to the previous project head in my department and asked him about every transition, every merger, every change of product… EVERYTHING we worked with them. So by the time I had to give them a very thorough presentation of what their strategy would be for the change they were implementing, I was the team member they could count on and trust to lead their company’s validations successfully. His words after the meeting?! “OK, I don’t need the other person. Please stick with us and don’t leave.” We all had a good laugh after that. Honesty and transparency builds trust and credibility, despite the inevitable bumps along the way. DON’T BE AFRAID TO NOT KNOW. TRUST YOURSELF enough to learn and exceed expectations. Do you agree? #Trust #Transparency #FearofFailure #Credibility

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. Yet, it’s often underestimated. Trust isn’t built overnight — it’s earned, reinforced, and protected. Here’s how you can nurture trust in business and relationships: 1. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 - Reliability builds confidence. - Be present, not just visible. 2. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 Don’t overpromise. Overdeliver. Small wins compound over time. 3. 𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 Honesty creates comfort. Share your wins and your struggles. 4. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Misunderstandings break trust faster than failure. Clarity prevents confusion. 5. 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 Accountability earns respect. Admit, apologize, and adjust. Trust isn’t a one-time achievement. It’s a continuous effort. Without trust, no strategy, system, or skillset will hold. Build trust, and everything else will follow. 👉 How do you build trust in your business or with your clients? Share your thoughts below!

Your reputation is the product of your past actions. It reflects what you’ve done, how you’ve performed, and the perceptions others hold about you based on history. Think of reputation as a rearview mirror—essential for understanding where you've been. Trust, on the other hand, is forward-looking. It’s a measure of future potential and success. When customers trust you, they believe in your ability to deliver consistently moving forward. Trust is about reliability, credibility, and the confidence people have in your future actions. Reputation looks back. It’s built on the foundation of your past performances and experiences. It’s crucial because it shapes initial perceptions and opens doors. However, relying solely on reputation without reinforcing it through actions can lead to missed opportunities. Trust is the bridge to future success. It’s built through consistent actions, transparency, and genuine relationships. Trust is dynamic and requires continuous nurturing. It’s about showing up, delivering on promises, and creating a predictable, positive experience for your customers. A recent study found that 67% of customers will not buy from a company they do not trust, even if it has a strong reputation. This highlights the critical nature of trust in today’s business landscape. As we move forward, let’s focus on building and maintaining trust. Deliver on your promises, communicate openly, and prioritize your relationships. The success of your future depends on it. #Trust #Reputation

12 things that destroy Trust: 1. Blaming ↳"If you had just managed your time better and not procrastinated, this wouldn't have happened." Why? Shifting fault onto them will erode trust and damage your relationship. 2. Belittling ↳"This was a simple task. I can't rely on you for anything important going forward." Why? Diminishing their capability will destroy their confidence and lead to disengagement. 3. Threatening ↳"If you ever miss a deadline again, there will be consequences." Why? Fear-based threats rarely inspire accountability and often backfire. 4. Oversharing ↳"I need to let the rest of the team know that we can't depend on you." Why? Spreading negative impressions doesn't just undermine others' trust in that person, but also erodes trust in your own discretion and judgment. 5. Overreacting ↳"I can't believe you missed this deadline! Do you know how much this sets us back?" Why? This strong emotional response will make them feel attacked rather than supported. 6. Failing to deliver ↳"I said I'd have that analysis done by Wednesday but I don't have it yet." Why? Consistently not following through on commitments erodes dependability. 7. Dismissing feelings ↳"It's just one deadline, stop being so hard on yourself." Why? Invalidating their emotions prevents open communication and understanding. 8. Taking unfair credit ↳"That marketing campaign was all my idea even though we collaborated." Why? Misrepresenting contributions diminishes others' efforts and breeds resentment. 9. Deciding unilaterally ↳"I went ahead and extended our lease without consulting anyone else." Why? Failing to seek input on important decisions undervalues others' perspectives. 10. Avoiding accountability ↳"The low customer satisfaction scores aren't my fault." Why? Blaming external factors rather than taking ownership hurts integrity. 11. Withholding information ↳"I received the engineering report with safety recommendations but didn't pass it along." Why? Withholding relevant information strains transparency. 12. Not respecting confidentiality ↳"I informed our manager that you are considering a role within the Marketing department." Why? Disclosing private details without permission betrays confidence. Avoid at all costs. What am I missing? PS: Trust is not something you have, but something you do. -